Asset Management is an enormous task for any IT department. Gartner predicates shadow IT expenditures will reach 35% in 2015. IT Assets not tracked may pose security risks and additional costs. An IT Asset Management strategy is critical however the larger your organization, the harder it becomes to track every IT asset. Learn how to take on the IT asset management challenge by using a three tiered approach.
Tier 1 – Asset Data Collection
Tier 2 – Asset Data Intelligence
Tier 3 – Asset Lifecycle management
When organizations neglect any of these components, they have a security problem in addition to an IT asset management problem.
Tier 1 – Asset Data Collection
Collecting your asset information is the first consideration for IT asset management. It is important to have a central database that contains all the asset information you collect. Next, you need tools that scan your network on a regular basis. These tools need to report back to your database, providing as much information about all the devices connecting to your network. These tools also need to provide a way for you to connect to your business partners, so you can begin to track your asset from the moment you issue a purchase order. These tools should also integrate with mobile devices, such as bar code scanners, that are used to collect asset information. Most important of all, is to have a method to inventory every software application and virtual OS that runs on the hardware you have in your inventory. I will go into tier 1 in greater detail on my next blog.
Tier 2 – Asset Data Intelligence
Tier 2 is where the magic happens. After the asset information is stored in the database, you will have thousands and thousands of data points at your fingertips. Now it is time to normalize the information, to map the assets to relevant information, and to link the assets to their contracts, projects, departments, and people.
Tier 3 – Asset Lifecycle Management
IT assets are upgraded and change on a regular basis. You need to build processes that control how you purchase, procure, and dispose of IT assets. This includes virtual devices and software, along with the associated software licenses. Tier 3 is where you apply ITAM principles. Follow me on Twitter @marcelshaw